Device and method for controlling the movement of a deformation roll

ABSTRACT

A device and method for controlling the movement of a deformation roll, particularly for the formation of steel casting rods by drawing and reducing, comprises one or more deformation rollers arranged around the circumference of the rod to be formed. Each deformation roller is pivotally connected at its center to at least two separate piston rods. One of the piston rods is contained in a pivotally mounted cylinder and operates in an up and down direction for shifting the center of the deformation roller in an upward and downward direction and permitting its shifting in transverse directions or longitudinal directions. The other of the piston rods is mounted in an oblique position and may be reciprocated for shifting the deformation roller in longitudinal directions in the range of pivotal movement of the cylinder containing the piston for the other one of the rods. The complete system includes a hydraulic system including pumps and valves for selectively connecting respective sides of each cylinder to pressure conditions for causing the desired reciprocation of its associated piston in order to properly position the deformation roller so that it will engage the rod to be formed in the desired manner during the movement of the rod thereby. The system includes a computer or programmer with means such as a programmed magnetic tape for carrying out the operation of the necessary hydraulic valves and pumping elements to effect the desired positioning of the deformation rollers during the working pass.

Elite tates Patetit n 1 Braun et a1.

[ Apr. 10, 1973 DEVKCE AND m THOD FOR MG MOVE 3115 NT OF I TION ROLL [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 785,72l, Dec. 20,

1968, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl ..72/7, 72/245 [51] Int. Cl ..B21b 37/14, 1321b 31/32 [58] Field of Search ..72/7, 8, 224, 189, 72/245, 194, 21

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,416,341 12/1968 Dey et a1. ..72/21 X 3,251,207 5/1966 Wilson ..72/12 2,568,730 9/1951 Guthmann ..72/l78 Primary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Attorney-John J. McGlew and Alfred E. Page ABSTRACT A device and method for controlling the movement of a deformation roll, particularly for the formation of steel casting rods by drawing and reducing, comprises one or more deformation rollers arranged around the circumference of the rod to be formed. Each deformation roller is pivotally connected at its center to at least two separate piston rods. One of the piston rods is contained in a pivotally mounted cylinder and operates in an up and down direction for shifting the center of the deformation roller in an upward and downward direction and permitting its shifting in transverse directions or longitudinal directions. The other of the piston rods is mounted in an oblique position and may be reciprocated for shifting the deformation roller in longitudinal directions in the range of pivotal movement of the cylinder containing the piston for the other one of the rods. The complete system includes a hydraulic system including pumps and valves for selectively connecting respective sides of each cylinder to pressure conditions for causing the desired reciprocation of its associated piston in order to properly position the deformation roller so that it will engage the rod to be formed in the desired manner during the movement of the rod thereby. The system includes a computer or programmer with means such as a programmed magnetic tape for carrying out the operation of the necessary hydraulic valves and pumping elements to effect the desired positioning of the deformation rollers during the working pass.

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure 2'33 [Mlpuler DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF A DEFORMATION ROLL REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 785,721, now abandoned, filed by the same inventors, Otto Braun and Hans Weber on Dec. 20, 1968. It relates to the same subject matter as the parent case, with the exception that reference to sensors at the location of the deformation rollers has been eliminated and the description has been amplified in respect to the connection of the sensors to the computer 28 and a fuller description of the hydraulic unit 27 is included.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to the construction of metal forming machines and, in particular, for a new and useful device for accurately controlling the position of deformation rollers of a drawing and reducing machine for forming metal billets, particularly steel casting rods.

The present invention is particularly applicable to the drawing of the cross-section of a rod which issues from a continuous metal casting plant in a state in which it is not yet completely solidified and/or is partly cooled and thus requires special forming treatment. The principles of conventional rolling at high velocities are not applicable. With cast rods the deformation must be accomplished in two steps in which part of the forming is for forming the cross-sectional core and part of the forming is for the drawing. For such a process a force acting in the longitudinal direction of the rod pushes the deformation roll along the rod. A second force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion of the rod forms a continually varying screw down force. The effective force couple conforms to a resultant force which extends always through the tangential point between the roll circumference and a deformation zone of the casting rod, which is of a bottle-neck like formation. This force changes its direction according to certain laws. Due to the properties of the casting rod, which will have different temperature zones over its cross-section, adaptation of the movements of the deformation rolls is necessary.

In a so-called forced flow drive the ratio of the size of the force in a direction at which it acts is determined from the outset and can be calculated for each moment so that there is always a deliberate dependence between the longitudinal movement and the transverse movement of the deformation roll. With such an arrangement, it is possible to produce an independent couple of forces or several forces but a control must be used for carrying out the deformation and forming of each rod.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a device which includes one or more deformation rolls which are arranged to operate on a continuously fed rod to form the rod as it is passed between a plurality of such rollers. Each roller is advantageously mounted so that it may be shifted in at least two directions under the influence of a connection to at least two separate piston rods which are shiftable by pistons which ride in fluid control cylinders. One of the pistons is reciprocated to control the position of the deformation roller in one reciprocating plane and the other piston controls the movement of the roller in another plane at an angle to the first plane. Each control cylinder is connected to a hydraulic unit having means for controlling the displacement therewithin to accurately position the deformation rollers associated therewith. The control unit is advantageously connected to a computer or regulator to provide for a desired movement during each working pass of the rod to be formed thereby. The device operates to accurately position the deformation roller in order to provide the most advantageous acting force from the roller to the work piece for permitting a great reduction of cross-section of the workpiece during each pass. The arrangement is such that the piston elements carrying each deformation roller may be accurately positioned and shifted in a precise manner to carry out the most advantageous forming movements. Actual major values of the positions on the deformation rollers as measured by mechanical feelers may be used for comparison with a curve of preferred characteristics which is fed into a data processing device and the device may be used for controlling the elements of a control unit to operate the piston regulating the position of each deformation roller.

The computing or control device is advantageously such that it can operate to control the hydraulic pumping and valve units such that the pistons which are connected to each deformation roller may be accurately positioned and moved as desired during each working pass. The movement will depend upon the properties of the rod material being formed, the velocity of its movement during the operation, the rod temperature, the final dimensions of the rod and similar variables which may all be pre-set in a computer based on the process to be carried out as controlled by previous experience. Variations of the forming may be carried out by varying the speed of the operation of the shifting movement of the rollers and by varying the acting force on the roller or any particular location of its operative movement.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the Drawing:

The only FIGURE in the drawing is a schematic partial sectional view of a drawing and reducing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises a drawing and reducing machine for the formation of a steel rod 1 which has been delivered from a casting machine. The steel rod 1 is moved by a driver (not shown) arranged ahead of the deformation station and arrives between laterally spaced sets of frames 2,2 (only one of which is shown). The frames carry forming devices which are set up to provide a great reduction of the cross-section of the rod 1 for each pass.

In accordance with the invention, the frame 2 includes an upper portion 2a which provides a pivotal mounting for a fluid pressure control cylinder 4. in the embodiment illustrated, a corresponding lower frame 2b provides a similar mounting for a similar fluid pressure control cylinder 4. A piston 6 is slidable in each of the respective cylinders and it is provided with a piston rod 8 which is pivotally connected to a deformation roller 10 at the location of its center, or rotation axis 8a. The housing 4 may pivot or swing in a direction of the arrows 29 about pivots 4a. The point 80 of the rotational center of the deformation roller 10 is similarly shifted. In addition to the control cylinders 4, 4, there are also obliquely arranged cylinders 5,5 having pistons 7,7 with rods 9,9 connected to the respective central roller pivots 8a, 8a.

The machine also carries means for shifting the roller center 8a in a curve corresponding to that indicated by the double arrow 29'. To accomplish this, there are provided upper and lower fluid control cylinders 5,5 which are pivoted at pivots 5a and arranged obliquely in a central frame portion 2d in a manner such that piston rods 9 of pistons 7 which are slidable in the cylinders are directed toward the center of the casting rod 1 which is being formed.

The fluid control cylinders 4,4 and 5,5 define chambers 11 and 12, 13 and 14, 15 and 16 and 17 and 18 on respective opposite sides of their associated pistons 6,6 and 7,7 which are connected at their respective ends through associated hydraulic lines 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, to a central hydraulic unit 27. The hydraulic unit 27 contains the necessary hydraulic pumps, valves and control elements for directing fluid under pressure to the various cylinder spaces or for withdrawing the fluid therefrom for the purposes of shifting the associated pistons 6,6 or 7 ,7 in order to accurately position the deformation rollers 10, 10. In the arrangement shown, two opposing deformation rolls 10, 10 form a pair which work on opposite sides of the rod 1 which is being deformed. Several such sets may be arranged in the same planes or in the different planes such as a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in order to perform the desired forming on the rod 1.

In accordance with the feature of the invention the hydraulic unit 27 is connected to a computer or programmer 28. The computer 28 may contain, for example, a magnetic tape (not shown) but may provide a continuously transmitting control to effect a uniform or varied sequence of pulses to the various control elements in the unit 27 for the changing of the position of the center point 8a of each deformation roller 10in upward and downward and in longitudinal fore and aft, directions. Only the corrected values which are set on a magnetic tape fed to the computer will be transmitted to the hydraulic unit 27.

The computer 28 sends information to the hydraulic pumping unit 27 in accordance with the position of the rollers 10 and a measurement of the variation of the positions of the rollers 10 depends upon the pivotal position of the individual fluid control cylinders 4,4 and 5,5. To indicate the angular shifting movement of these cylinders, there is provided sensors or transmitters 60 which sense the pivotal shifting of the associated cylinders in the directions of the double-curved arrows 29 and 29' shown in respect to each cylinder. The transmitters 60 are arranged adjacent to various cylinders at the locations indicated schematically and they comprise, for example, variable or slide-wire resistors including a slide spring 31 connected to each cylinder housing 4,4 and 5,5 and moves along a stationary resistance 32. The resistance 32 of the transmitter connects cable 30 with the computer 28. The computer 28 which is not shown in detail is connected with a source of current 33. The values set on the resistor 32 are continuously fed into the computer and a pre-set tape in the computer will control the operation of the hydraulic system 27 in accordance with the indicated values of the position of the cylinders as determined by the resistor 32. The shifting of the springs 31 along the resistors 32 change the measuring current values which are transmitted to the computer. These actual measured values serve for the comparison with the shape of a curve previously fed into the computer 28. Based on the comparison between the actual measured value and the theoretical value the computer delivers the proper steering-control currents for operating the hydraulic unit 27. The controlled impulses are led through 8 circuits 34 to hydraulic unit 27.

When the sensors 29 measure the shifting movement of the associated cylinders which guide the deformation rollers 10 the measuring current is changed and because of this the computer 28 feeds a steering control based on the pre-set tape and the modification as indicated by the setting of the various rollers at any particular time. The invention provides a method and an apparatus for the controlled positioning of deforming rollers in respect to a work-piece particularly a continuously cast rod which operates on the workpiece to reduce it to a desired cross section. The apparatus in its simplest form comprises deforming rollers mounted on either side of the workpiece which are connected to first and second piston rods which are reciprocable in pivotally mounted cylinders and which are located at an acute angle in respect to each other. Means are provided for reciprocating the pistons and the associated cylinders in order tov cause pivotal movement of the associated cylinders and shifting of a deformation roller which is carried on a common pivot carried at the ends of the two pivot rods of the movable pistons. In the preferred form the shifting is regulated by a computer so that the hydraulic control of the fluidwhich is directed into either one side of the cylinder or the other is advantageously varied in accordance witha pattern which is established by a previous experience. For example, a control tape which has been obtained by the movement of the deformation rollers in respect to a desired treatment of a cast steel rod is used as a guide or pattern for operating the hydraulic unit for a successively treated steel rod to treat it in the same manner as the previous one. The hydraulic unit of course may be any one which is capable of shifting fluid to the respective sides of the cylinder for the purpose of pressurizing the sides or releasing the pressure and the computer may be any program type computer which is capable of operating the hydraulic parts to obtain the desired movement of the pistons during the operation. Through the working of all four drive units, the deformation rolls 10 are moved along the desired shape of a curve which is fed into it by the computer control tape (not shown).

It is also possible to control the pressure in each cylinder chamber by a piezo-electric effect and then to limit or increase the resulting rolling pressure.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for adjusting the position of a deforming roll which acts on a rod to be formed particularly in a drawing and reducing machine for steel casting rods, comprising a deforming roller located to be operative upon the surface of the rod to be formed, a first piston rod having one end pivotally connected to said deforming roller and having a first piston on its opposite end, a first fluid cylinder pivotally mounted at its one end and having an opposite end through which said first piston rod extends, said first piston being slidable in said cylinder to shift the position of said piston rod and said deformation roller, a second fluid cylinder, a second piston slidable in said second fluid cylinder and having a second rod connected thereto and pivotally connected at its outer end to said deformation roller, said second piston being reciprocal in said cylinder to shift the pivotal connection to said deformation roller in directions longitudinally in respect to the rod being treated, said first piston being shiftable upwardly and downwardly for shifting the position of said deformation roller upwardly and downwardly in respect to the rod being formed, hydraulic means connected to said first and second fluid cylinders for supplying fluid pressure to selected sides of said first and second pistons in said cylinders to position and to pressure bias said pistons and means for controlling the operation of said hydraulic means connected to said hydraulic means to provide for a definite controlled movement of said first and second pistons. 

1. A control device for adjusting the position of a deforming roll which acts on a rod to be formed particularly in a drawing and reducing machine for steel casting rods, comprising a deforming roller located to be operative upon the surface of the rod to be formed, a first piston rod having one end pivotally connected to said deforming roller and having a first piston on its opposite end, a first fluid cylinder pivotally mounted at its one end and having an opposite end through which said first piston rod extends, said first piston being slidable in said cylinder to shift the position of said piston rod and said deformation roller, a second fluid cylinder, a second piston slidable in said second fluid cylinder and having a second rod connected thereto and pivotally connected at its outer end to said deformation roller, said second piston being reciprocal in said cylinder to shift the pivotal connection to said deformation roller in directions longitudinally in respect to the rod being treated, said first piston being shiftable upwardly and downwardly for shifting the position of said deformation roller upwardly and downwardly in respect to the rod being formed, hydraulic means connected to said first and second fluid cylinders for supplying fluid pressure to selected sides of said first and second pistons in said cylinders to position and to pressure bias said pistons and means for controlling the operation of said hydraulic means connected to said hydraulic means to provide for a definite controlled movement of said first and second pistons. 